Main menu

Post navigation

It’s a Classic Tale We Have All Heard………….But Have We Listened?

Do you think the majority of the people involved in this diabetes world choose not to be involved in diabetes causes? Do you believe hat more people are interested in living their life with diabetes and that, in itself, is enough of a sacrifice to ask any one person; or one family?

I have stated before that compared to the number of people who are impacted by diabetes, and this includes immediate family members, there probably is just a small amount that choose to be active; and I will include those who are in the online community.

From a numbers stand-point, if there are almost 30 million people with diabetes and we add just a two-person-per-family exponential concern; that states an army of about 90 million people who have diabetes or have an immediate loved one dealing with it, are out there. That’s a lot of people.

If you look at the entire online community and every diabetes organization you can think of, what is the number of people we are talking about…….4,5,6 million people tops? So if six million people choose to be active in any sort of cause, advocacy, fund-raising initiatives…….where are the other 84 million? And let’s be real generous and say 10 million are active, where are the other 80 million people?

So what does that tell us? I believe that everyone makes their own choices. Everyone decides what to do or what not to do……it’s their choice. So if my numbers are anywhere near correct, is it safe to say that most people who battle T1 or T2 diabetes (and their loved ones) are more interested in just being acclimated into……well……life; and not to become any sort of advocate?

And the bigger question is are they wrong to feel that way? Since this is the holiday season, is Scrooge’s comment a fair one from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol when he states; “It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s. Mine occupies me constantly.”

Is it enough to only be concerned with one’s own business?

When Marley’s ghost visit’s Scrooge, he reminds him that ‘mankind’ is/was their business and more time should be taken with the welfare of that same mankind. It’s a true statement to think that, yes, our business of diabetes does occupy us constantly. In fact, in some cases it is safe to say that we are almost consumed by the ‘diabetes’ around us. But the question still remains, “If we do not help ‘ourselves’…..who, for goodness sake, will”?

I was having a conversation with someone recently, someone who is not ‘really’ impacted by diabetes. They stated, “Have you looked online, ever, at the diabetes community….never have I seen so much bickering with people who should be of support to each other.”

Ouch.

There are many things you can do to help others. There are many things you can do to help yourself while you help others. But the simple truth is if you choose to do nothing, nothing will get done. How much or how little you do is your call but know this; if we as a community do not uplift each other and support each other, we are destined to implode.

Perhaps we should just start with realizing there are differences in belief, management, styles, concerns, abilities; and start with a respect that the person we are speaking with is in the same battle as everyone else; even if they choose to do battle differently than us. Maybe we should hold each other up a little more in support, as oppose to knocking each other down. What on earth does that gain? It’s not a matter of one winning but more of a realization that when that happens, we all lose. And believe me when I tell you that the world outside of our inner diabetes circle………..sees it.

Scrooge also said, “We’ve been noworse than the next man, or nobetter if it comes to that.” We can live like Scrooge lived, if we choose to, as well. It’s our choice. But also know that when he did not believe in those around him and refused to change his ways; three ghosts appeared to him to show him why he should.

I would rather not be visited by anyone when I sleep, much less three ghosts, how about you?

We might be better off not waiting for that to happen and to live with the attitude of ‘the little lame boy’ (notice the person living with something insidious is the same one to remind us) Tiny Tim, who chose to live life thinking of others and hoping that “God Bless us; God Bless us Everyone” should be the rule of the day.